Fabricated metal ironing board top



Nov. 8, 1949 Q. G. NOBLITT ETAL FABRICATED METAL IRONING BOARD TOP Filed April 4, 1945 EL (Ii-490cm;

ram 15m.

'wide between the border-frame sides.

Patented Nov. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Quintin G. Noblitt and Earl C. Booth, Columbus, Ind., assignors to Noblitt Sparks Industries, Inc., Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 4, 1945, Serial No. 586,492

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to ironing boards and more particularly to an ironing-board top. It is the primary object of our invention to provide an ironing-board top which will lend itself to construction from metal tubing and sheet-metal stampings. Other objects of our invention are to provide an ironing board top which can be simply and economically manufactured, to provide a top which will be strong and rigid, and to make a top which will be light in weight.

In carrying out our invention, we provide for the top a border frame conveniently formed of metal tubing. Such border frame is completely covered by a series of sheet-metal stampings which extend transversely of the border frame and are secured to the sides thereof. To stiffen the panels and the top as a whole, each panel is provided along its sides and across its ends with depending flanges which are relatively narrow over the sides of the border frame and relatively The relatively wide portions of the peripheral flanges of adjacent stampings are disposed in contact with each other and secured together as by spot welding. To receive the narrow portions of the peripheral flanges at the sides of the panels, the metal of the border frame is offset inwardly so that the body of each panel may lie against and be spot-welded to the tubular border frame.

The accompanying drawing illustrates our invention: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an ironing board in extended condition; Fig. 2' is a plan view of the top with one panel in position thereon; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmental section on an enlarged scale on the line 55 of Fig. '7; Fig. 6 is a fragmental plan view similar to Fig. 2 but on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 7 is a fragmental vertical section on the line I'I of Fig. 6.

The top shown in the drawing comprises a border frame IU of metal tubing extending completely around and defining the periphery of the top. Extending across the border frame at a point intermediate its length we provide a cross member I I conveniently formed as a sheet-metal stamping having at its ends down-turned flanges I2 which fit against and are welded to the sides of the border frame. To increase the rigidity of the cross member II and the rigidity of the top as a whole we depress the center portion I3 of the cross member and turn its edges upwardly to form flanges I4. Desirably, the undepressed end portions I5 of the cross member II and the upper edges of the flanges I4 are substantially flush with each other and with the upper surface of the border frame, as will be clear from Fig. 4.

Extending from one end of the border frame to the other we provide a truss-like brace II the ends of which are secured to the border frame. Desirably the brace I! is of metal tubing and its ends are welded to the ends of the border frame. The intermediate portion of the brace I1 is depressed and passes beneath the cross-member I I to which it is secured. Conveniently, the web I3 of the cross-member is provided with two downstruck ears I8 between which the brace I! is located and to which it is secured by a rivet or of a collapsible supporting structure.

bolt I9.

The frame of the ironing-board top as above described is covered with a series of panels 2|, formed as sheet-metal stampings, extending transversely of the border frame. Across each end of the panels 2I is provided a relatively narrow down-turned flange 22, while along each side each panel is provided with relatively wide downturned flanges 23. At each end, the width of each of the flanges 23 is reduced substantially to the width of the end flanges 22, as will be clear from Fig. 5. Adjacent panels are disposed with their adjacent flanges 23 in contact, and such contacting flanges are desirably secured together as by spot-welding. At appropriate intervals, the wall of the tubing forming the border frame II] is offset inwardly to provide a transversely extending groove 25 adapted to receive the narrowed portions of the flanges 23. This permits the body of each panel I I to rest upon and to be spotwelded to the tubing of the border frame. The end flanges 22 of each panel desirably extend downwardly into contact or substantially into contact with the wall of the border-frame tubing in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5.

For the purpose of reducing the weight of the ironing-board top, each of the panels 2I may be provided with a multiplicity of perforations 21.

In addition to the ears I8, the cross-member I I may be provided with additional down-struck ears or flanges 30 through the medium of which the to may be connected to the legs 3| and 32 The particular supporting structure illustrated in Fig. 1 is that more fully illustrated and described in the copending application of Frank Jones and Earl C. Booth, Serial No. 586,466, filed April 4, 1945, now Patent No. 2,469,809, dated May 10, 1949. Such supporting structure forms no part of our present invention, and other supporting structures may be substituted therefor if desired.

We claim as our invention:

1. An ironing-board top, comprising an elongated border frame formed of metal tubing, a plurality of sheet-metal panels extending transversely between and resting on and secured to the sides of said border frame, adjacent panels being provided with abutting, generally vertical flanges extending transversely of the top and Welded together, said flanges extending over the sides of the border frame and being of greater depth between the sides of the border frame than above such sides, the tubing of the border frame beneath abutting flanges being indented to receive the flanges and permit the body of each panel between its flanges to rest on such tubing.

2. In an ironing board top, an elongated border frame, and a cross member extending across said frame at a point intermediate its length, said cross member being formed of sheet metal and provided at its ends with flanges abutting and secured to the inner surfaces of the border-frame sides, the intermediate portion of the cross member' being vertically offset from horizontal end portions adjacent the border frame sides and the 8. In an ironing board top, an elongated border frame, and a cross member extending across said frame, said cross member being formed of sheet metal and being secured at its ends to the borderframe sides, the intermediate portion of the crossmember being offset vertically from horizontal end portions adjacent the border-frame sides and the sides of said offset intermediate portion being bent at right angles to form vertical flanges, the

edges of said flanges extending continuously between saidhorizontal end portions and being sub- 4-" stantially coplanar therewith.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3 with the addition that the intermediate portion of the cross member is offset downwardly, the edges of said flanges and the end portion of the cross member being substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the border frame.

5. The invention set forth in claim 3 with the addition that said cross member is provided with down-struck ears adapted for attachment to a collapsible top-supporting structure.

6. The invention set forth in claim 3 with the addition of a: brace extending between and secured to the ends of said border frame and passing beneath said cross member, said cross member being provided: with down-struck ears which are located on opposite sides of said brace and to which the brace is'secured.

QUINTIN G. NOBLITT. EARL C. BOOTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,303,247 Braley May 13, 1919 1,473,364 Voelker Nov. 6, 1923 1,647,515 Ellis NOV. 1, 1927 1,698,255 Carns Jan. 8, 1929 1,740,053 Wehr Dec. 17, 1929 1,770,856 Lewis July 15, 1930 2,042,797 Nechin June 2, 1936 2,233,735 Fay Mar. 4, 1941 2,235,883 John Mar. 25, 1941 2,281,729 Thomas May 5, 1942 2,289,653 John July 14, 1942 2,306,319v Parsons et a1 Dec. 22, 1942 2,325,493 Fay July 27, 1943 2,420,041 Jensen May 6, 1947 

